The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-26
Washington Street Paxemant.

The contractors to whom awarded the
paving of Washington street with Medina stone
declining to do the work, brings the matter
again before the Council The contract having
been let, the Council cannot, it is sad legally
award the contract to a higher bidder without
again advertising and receiving new bids
Whether this be the fact or not it is very clear
that the property owners on the street will have
right to a full hearing before the Council vote
their money away at higher bid than the one
accepted Some of the Washington street prop
Arty owners object to the great expense of the
Medina stone pavement and should the Council
let the contract to any other than the lowest
bidder under the last advertisement will resist
payment in the courts. All the people of the
city are interested in having good pavement on
Westinghouse street, but all the people do not pay
for it; the Washington-street property owners
alone pay for the I'm provement, whatever it may
be, except for crossings and whatever the John
railroad pleases to pay. Now if the oues-
ton is to be opened up again. quite a number of
citizens and some of those owning property
the street favor a reconsideration of the
whole subject and possibly would favor another
kind of pavement. Some recent publications
in regard to the merits of the asphalt pavement
have been made. and from the well-known char
acter Of the gentleman giving testimony in favor
of that kind of pavement, it iswell worth consd-
ering. Everyone who is familiar with Wash
ington City will bear testimony to the beauty
and smoothness OF its Streets and the pavements
laid there in late years have proven to be good
and durable. Washington is the best paved and
cleanest city in this country. if not in the world.
The advantages claimed for the asphalt that
it is. as nearly as is possible or desirable
noseless pavement There sound of traf-
fc but the click of horses feet. 1t is the clean
est pavement in the world. 1t generates
dust by abrasion; and, at fraction of the cost
of sprinklng, it can be swept washed, clean
floor, from the dirt brought on it by traffic.
The recorded observations in different cities
during 1872 days in which SEQ COO horses
noted, showed that on an average horse trav-
eled on asphalt 583 miles before falling and only
Alb miles before falling stone in other
words. that for the same distance travelled there
were A per cent more accidents stone than on
asphalt. The recorded accidents among Sc. 900
horses passing over Fifth avenue, New York, in
one week were. six falls the Trinidad pave
ment in front Of the Worth monument to TWEEN
ty-nine falls on the wood pavement near TWEEN
ty-second street It is durable than any
other pavement having the same amount of care
and attention. It costs less than any other
pavement of equal merit. Some of the testimo-
malls in favor of the asphalt pavement are as
follows:
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, ALBANY, Dec. 13, 1888.
Col. H F.
Dear Sir-Having frequently, within the past few
years. observed the asphalt pavements quite
largely in in Buffalo. say in their favor that
they smooth and hard and appear to be substan-
tal. should judge they equal, if superior,
any known pavement and cheerfully recommend
their introduction to localities desiring good streets
GROVER CLEVELAND.